Jun 18, 2009

FREE FOR (NOT QUITE SO MANY) ALL

Readers in the DC area probably already know that the Shakespeare Theater Company is moving its Free For All—Washington’s free summer Shakespeare play—indoors starting this year.

It was news to me, though I had noticed that the Free For All hadn’t taken place this year at its usual time in late May and Early June or at its usual place—the Carter Barron Amphitheater in Rock Creek Park

The press release on the STC’s website says that “The move will increase the metro-accessibility of the event, prevent weather-related cancellations, and allow the Shakespeare Theatre Company to maintain the artistic integrity of Free For All productions thanks to the state-of-the-art capabilities of Sidney Harman Hall. By changing venues, the Company also will be able to host a variety of additional family-friendly events to coincide with Free For All performances.”

I’ve been at one of the Carter Barron productions that was called on account of rain. Late May/early June seems to be WAshigton’s rainy season. And missing the whole play was disappointing. I don’t know how many actual performances were cancelled over the life of the Free For All, which started in 1991, but I’m sure it’s frustrating for actors, directors and audience.

As for the other reasons given for the move, they’re not especially convincing. Carter Barron is completely Metro accessible by several bus routes. You can get there from pretty much anywhere. We often car pooled to get there.

I wouldn’t know, but I’ll take it on faith that staying at the Carter Barron would not “maintain the artistic integrity and would fall short of the state of the art capabilities of the Sidney Harmon Hall.” But, as an audience member who enjoyed every one of the STC’s productions at the Carter Barron, I’d say what was lost in integrity and state of the art was made up for by the specialness of the occasion: Shakespeare outdoors, just as when the plays were first staged in Elizabethan London. Also the relaxed atmosphere, the picnics beforehand, and the feel of Washington coming together for the play were all integral to how much fun and how entertaining and entrancing the event was. I certainly didn’t feel any lack of artistic integrity or miss any state of the art stagecraft. But the holiday aura of the outside event—everybody friendly and excited and happy—was different and better than any stagecraft I’ve seen indoors. Will this feeling when the Free For All moves downtown and inside still be there?

Also, fewer people will be able to attend the actual play. “A variety of additional family-friendly events to coincide with Free For All performances,” as the press release states, does not substitute for actually seeing and hearing a Shakespeare play. In fact it sent a chill down my spine. The best family friendly event possible won’t replace going with the whole family and a slew of friends to see a Shakespeare play outside. Games, demonstrations, and whatever are no substitute.

So how many people will actually get to see this year’s Free For All play, the Taming of the Shrew? According to the press release, “more than 17,000 patrons will have a chance to see this free production of Shakespeare.” If this number is right, they either must be doing a matinee here and there or squeezing in another 225 seats per show (the Sidney Harmon has 775 seats, and the Free For All runs for 17 days (7 longer than at Carter Barron), so that adds up to only 13,175 seats). Still, 17,000 sounds like a lot, right? And the FFA is running for seven days longer.

Unfortunately this is only slightly more than a third to slightly less than a half of the number of people who were able to get to the Free For All at the Carter Barron. The Carter Barron seats 3,750. So that’s 37,500 who get see a Shakespeare play as opposed to between 13,175 and 17,000. And that’s too bad. The Carter Barron always looked packed to me.

Maybe this is an unfair comparison, but New York City’s Shakespeare in the Park plays to 100,000 each year. Yes, yes, New York City is huge, and has resources that Washington doesn’t (I guess). Shakespeare in the Park, at a 100,000 per year, reaches 1.2% of its population. Doesn’t sound like much? The new indoor Free for All will reach only .25% (that’s POINT two five per cent) of the Washington area. That sounds like a lot less.

I don’t want to dis the STC. It’s great to have it and other Shakespeare Theater groups, such as the excellent productions at the Folger Theater, here in the DC. So chalk this up to DC tradition of doing things that don’t seem to serve the community (mutilating trees unnecessarily) particularly well. Usually these things take place in spite of community opposition (not burying the lines along 12 Street in Brookland, or neglecting and then—surprise!—closing schools). But I’m sure there is some group that benefits (PEPCO, Penn Quarter businesses, all powerful developers, and so on.